Entrapped
by Quillbreaker
Summary: Madness is not a state of mind. Madness is a place. What happens when Harry stumbles into it and gets trapped there? A Harry Potter version of Alice in Wonderland but a thousand shades darker.
1. Chapter 1

_**So, this was just sudden. Really don't know what made me write this but I'm looking forward to your feedback**_

The boy awoke, his emerald eyes slowly coming to focus on the naked bulb above and the screams reverberating against the walls. He was dimly aware of his body being rigid and straight. There was absolutely no movement possible. Pulling his head upward he could see thick straps over his arms and legs. Saliva pooled in the back of his throat and he swallowed, panicked. More saliva came and over and over he drank it down so as not to panic. He twisted his limbs, turning them, feeling the friction of the fabric against his skin.

It took his brain a while to catch up with where he was and what was happening. The panic subsided and he grew still in the restraints. He tried to focus on why he was in them. A white misty fog clouded his brain and he tried to grasp the memories through it. Wandering blindly and attempting to grab something, anything. It was too dense…the fog was too dense and he couldn't… he couldn't focus…couldn't see through it no matter how hard he tried.

He gave up and twisted his head in the restraints, taking in his surroundings. The familiar view and sounds gave him some semblance of calm. But calm was probably the wrong word. There was no calm in this place. They called Hogwarts the "asylum" as if it were a place of refuge, it was anything but. It was a place for those no one knew what to do with, the ones that had been forgotten by the wider world. He squeezed his eyes shut. There was no point in struggling. The restraints would only come off if Doctor Albus willed it.

In here he had no rights. He couldn't leave. He couldn't choose when to rise or the time at which he may go to bed. He couldn't refuse the poisons that made his mind slow to the point of stopping at every emotion and thought. Doctor Albus decided every little thing.

There was no rest from the screams of others, the ones driven crazier by the hours of isolation. They weren't patients but inmates, barely human at all. He drew in a deep breath. He wasn't like them. He wasn't crazy. He wasn't insane. And he didn't belong here. One of the nurses, dressed in their usual, spotless white uniforms walked past his bed. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it instantly.

His gaze locked on to the bulb again and he focused on his memories again. The fog was a bit less dense. The drugs must be wearing off. He instantly reached for his memories. The first one being of his first day here. He couldn't remember what had happened before that. Doctor Albus had done that to him. But he remembered how he had been brought in. His own screams and cries. His pleas that he wasn't insane. But no one had heard. They had taken his dignity along with his clothes, they had talked to him as if he were a challenged five-year-old. Doctor Albus still talked to him like that. He knew he was always being watched, all his negative emotions were recorded and punished, his dull and passive behaviours were praised and rewarded.

The thought sliced through the fog. That was why he was restrained. He hadn't answered Doctor Albus' questions. He had acted up and reiterated the point that he wasn't insane. Saying that he was insane was the worst kind of treason in this place.

He had learned on his second day here that in that place, there wasn't one word he could say that wouldn't be taken as insane. Every little thing about him was over scrutinized, every emotion taken as a sign of imbalance. The pills came, as did the over cooked food…bland and over salted. In that place of locked doors and barred windows time slowed…the clock ticking out but moments were frozen. Every day was the same.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by a calm, collected voice. He looked away from the bulb he had been focusing on and turned his attention to the tall, thin man with silver hair and beard standing at his bedside. He gazed up into those brilliant, soul-piercing blue eyes that were twinkling with kindness. Sometimes he wanted to believe that the kindness really was genuine. The leather straps restraining him made him think otherwise,

"My dear boy, have you had enough time to contemplate?"

He knew he had to play along if he ever wanted to get out of these restraints. He nodded silently. Doctor Albus smiled benignly,

"Excellent. You are making progress. Another day shall do wonders for you."

His horror must have become apparent on his face because the man frowned concernedly and patted him on the cheek,

"This is for your own good, my boy."

He wanted to protest. He wanted to yell and scream that this wasn't for his good. He desperately wanted to get out of this place before Doctor Albus took anymore of his memories. Before he forgot his own name. What was his name again? A wave of panic drowned out everything other thought. He struggled desperately to find the answer in his drug addled mind. No…No…NO! He couldn't remember. He couldn't remember. He writhed against the restraints. Doctor Albus rested his hand on his forehead,

"Relax. All shall be well. You shall get better."

He grew still as Doctor Albus traced the scar on his forehead with his finger. How had he gotten that? He had remembered how once. His name…that's what he needed to remember. What was his name? Doctor Albus brushed his hair away from his forehead and spoke gently,

"What is the first step to recovery, Harry?"

Harry…that was his name. He held onto it tight and repeated it over and over inside his head so that he wouldn't forget it again. But he would. He knew it. As soon as he would be dosed again, he would. The first step to recovery…the answer rolled off his tongue without thought,

"Acceptance."

Doctor Albus seemed very pleased with the answer and his smile widened. Harry could only hope that he would let him out of these restraints soon,

"Have you accepted your illness, Harry?"

NO! He hadn't because there was no illness to accept in the first place. He wasn't insane. But he had to say something to placate Doctor Albus otherwise he would be stuck in these restraints forever,

"Yes, Doctor. I am not well."

Doctor Albus patted him on the head gently and spoke,

"Indeed, Harry. You are not but I shall make you all better. Do you trust me?"

No again. He didn't trust anyone in this place,

"Yes, Doctor. I trust you."

Doctor Albus stepped back from his bed,

"Madam Pomfrey, I believe it is time for Harry's injection."

He turned to him, smiled benignly and spoke,

"If you take your injection like a good boy, I shall let you out of these restraints. They must be awfully uncomfortable but they are for your own good. They are there to make you all better."

Harry could only nod but he internally screamed. He didn't want that fog again. He closed his eyes and lectured himself

 _Calm down…calm down. It's just an injection. Doctor Albus is going to let you out tomorrow if you take it silently. Then you can escape. DO not mess this up. Don't mess it up and calm down._

Harry felt the sleeve of his shirt being rolled up past his elbow and the needle prick his skin. He willed himself to remain still all through the process. When the needle was pulled away. He opened his eyes and saw Doctor Albus smiling radiantly,

"Very good, Harry. You are on your way to recovery."

Harry watched him walk away and closed his eyes. He had three minutes before he blacked out. In those three minutes, he attempted to hold onto everything he remembered. But most of all he held onto his name. He couldn't forget his name again. That would mean that he was forgetting himself. He could feel it happening. The darkness consuming his thoughts, his memories, everything inside his head like a tidal wave. His name…he had to hold on to that. It was important... Very important. Harry…Harry…His name was Harry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry walked through a long corridor silently. Everything was white. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. He felt the gaze of several nurses following him and he tried to act as inconspicuous as possible. He had been drugged six hours ago and the restraints had been removed seven hours ago. One false move would land him back in bed or worse. The hazy fog still swirled inside his head, preventing him from reaching out to his memories but he could think much clearer than he had been able to a few days ago. He must be growing immune to the drug. Harry kept his head lowered and took in every detail of his surroundings. The only way out that he had discovered so far was the main door and an exit through the kitchen. But Doctor Albus had taken him off kitchen duty and every other duty when one of the nurses had caught him peering at it curiously. There had to be another exit.

He looked around at the ignorantly blissful inmates. They might be at home here but he wasn't. Harry's head swam for a while and he took the support of the wall to keep himself upright. He had been stripped away of his energy during the past few days he had spent in restraints. A few minutes on his feet left him weak and dizzy. Harry blinked away the giddiness and started walking again. He was just making way down to the ground floor when a nurse stopped him on the stairs,

"It's time for your session with Doctor Albus. He is expecting you in his office."

Harry cursed internally but allowed the nurse to escort him.

 _Stay calm…stay focused. You need to make your lies believable. You need Doctor Albus to trust you again._

Harry was escorted into a room devoid of any furniture except for an arm chair, a small table and a leather recliner. He had been here enough times to know where his place was and he made his way to the recliner instinctively. Doctor Albus smiled at him and signalled him to sit down. Harry obeyed even though his heart was hammering in his chest and every instinct in his body was screaming at him to run. The nurse drew closer to him and restrained his arms silently. Harry resisted the urge to tug at them and tried to relax as best as possible. Doctor Albus thanked the nurse. When the nurse had departed and the door had been closed, Doctor Albus turned to him,

"My dear boy, you seem well today."

Harry nodded,

"Yes, Doctor. I feel well."

Doctor Albus picked up a clipboard and spoke,

"Have you had any more dreams?"

Harry shook his head. He had but he wasn't about to mention them,

"No, Doctor."

Doctor Albus' blue eyes twinkled like he had caught the lie but Harry was glad that he didn't pursue the matter further,

"Do you remember what we discussed the last time you were here, my boy?"

Harry couldn't remember and although that was a bad thing for him, he figured it would delight Doctor Albus,

"No, Doctor."

Doctor Albus smiled brightly,

"Do you remember what happened after?"

Harry remembered all too clearly. He had shouted out that he wasn't insane and attempted to run. That had been stupid. That was why he had been restrained to the recliner this time,

"I am sorry, Doctor."

Doctor Albus rose to his feet and patted him on the cheek,

"There is no need to apologize. You are ill, Harry, and you cannot be held accountable for the mistakes you make due to it. Everything shall be fine. You shall be all better in no time."

Harry smiled as best as he could,

"Yes, Doctor."

Doctor Albus picked up a small bottle and a spoon from the side table. He filled the spoon with the liquid from the bottle and spoke softly,

"Open your mouth, Harry."

Harry didn't want to. A wave of cold fear and panic shot down his spine. Who knew what that was or what it would do to him. He forced himself to open his mouth and drank the foul-tasting liquid. Doctor Albus smiled pleasantly and retook his seat while he struggled to get the bitter taste off his tongue. A few minutes passed in silence and Harry knew that Doctor Albus was waiting for whatever he had just fed him to take effect and Harry doing his damndest not to let it affect him. But it was inevitable. His eyelids felt too heavy and they drooped, sinking his world into darkness. His head fell back against the recliner and his body relaxed. He wasn't unconscious though just extremely sleepy. Harry could feel the leather restraints digging into his wrists and he could hear Doctor Albus' distant voice,

"How do you feel, Harry?"

Harry spoke thoughtlessly,

"Sleepy."

Harry wanted nothing more than to fall asleep but something was stopping him,

"I shall let you sleep you in a moment, Harry. First you must answer my questions. But you must answer them honestly or else I shall not allow you to sleep."

Harry couldn't even nod. His body felt too heavy. His brain was working way too slow,

"Do you remember your parents?"

A few pictures flashed in front of his eyes in quick succession but Harry's mind was way too slow to pick them up. This was important but his brain didn't want to be bothered by it now,

"No."

Doctor Albus asked another question,

"Do you remember that night?"

Again, Harry saw an array of images but they passed as quickly as they had come,

"No."

Harry needed to sleep. He just wanted to sleep. That was the only think his mind wanted. It wasn't interested in the questions. The only reason Harry spoke was so that he could just sleep,

"Do you know why you were brought here?"

Harry's lips moved on their own,

"No."

Exhaustion and fatigue were wrecking his body and his mind,

"Sleep."

Harry's brain instantly complied, shutting down and sending him into that blissful, black void.

Doctor Albus watched as Harry's breathing turned deep and even. A knock on the door forced him to look up,

"Come in."

A nurse entered and spoke,

"Doctor, he's here."

Doctor Albus smiled and regarded Harry's sleeping form again,

"Send him here."

The nurse vanished from the room and Doctor Albus rose to his feet. He brushed away Harry's raven black hair from his forehead, bringing the scar into view and smiled widely.

 **Check out my new fanfic named "Ensnared". It's actually a Harry Potter Version of "The Beauty and the Beast" Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

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 **Check out my fanfic named "Elusion". Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

 **s/12775290/1/Elusion**

 **Check out my other fanfic named "No Escape." If you haven't checked it out yet. Just visit my profile or click on the link below**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

A tall, slender man dressed in a black immaculate suit stepped into a room. His gaze wandered lazily around the room, coming to rest on Harry's restrained, asleep form,

"Tom, it has been a long time."

Tom looked away from Harry and his lips curved into a smile, accentuating his high cheek bones and his sharp features,

"Albus, how are you?"

Doctor Albus smiled brightly,

"I am doing fairly good, Tom. What brings you to my humble abode?"

Tom's gaze drifted back to Harry,

"Is he a new patient?"

Doctor Albus nodded imperceptibly,

"Yes, he is."

Tom raised his hand,

"May I?"

Doctor Albus nodded and stepped away,

"By all means."

Tom traced a finger over Harry's cheek and murmured slowly,

"How old is he?"

Doctor Albus hesitated and Tom looked away from Harry and smiled at him,

"Oh, Albus. You have never bothered with doctor patient confidentiality before. I know all about your side business."

Doctor Albus smiled tightly and spoke,

"Yes, I have not but he is a special case."

Tom continued to trace Harry's cheek with his finger and spoke,

"Yes, he is. I recognize him, Albus. Do not think that I am that ignorant."

He moved his hand away from his cheek and began to thread his fingers through his hair. He continued talking,

"He is supposed to be dead. His obituary along with his parents was all over the newspapers two months ago."

Doctor Albus nodded silently,

"Yes, his parents' death was quite tragic and it was only by a miracle that Harry survived."

Tom chuckled,

"Explain to me what he is doing in your Asylum and why the news of his death has not been corrected? Do you intend to sell him off Albus?"

Doctor Albus moved his fingers through his sliver beard and smiled,

"Surely you are not here to discuss my business, Tom. Let us move to my office."

Tom laughed but his eyes remained fixated on Harry. He pulled his hand away and followed Doctor Albus to his office. Once they were both seated around the desk, Tom spoke,

"I actually did come here to discuss your business. I am in desperate need of one of your boys."

Doctor Albus opened a desk drawer. He pulled out a leather-bound book and slid it over to Tom,

"Take your pick, Tom."

Tom rested his hand on the book and smiled sharply,

"Is he in the book?"

Doctor Albus smiled coldly and shook his head,

"He is not for sale. He remembers too much and I have not broken him down completely yet. It shall take some time. Even then, I shall not be selling him here where people know him."

Tom pushed away the book,

"Name his price."

Doctor Albus' smile turned sad,

"Tom, I wish I could but I have already explained to you that he is not for sale yet."

Tom rose to his feet,

"I want him, Albus, and I want him now. I might have settled for anyone if I had not seen him but now that I have, I shall not settle for anything less. And you must know that I get everything I want by hook or by crook. So, if you do not sell him to me, I shall expose your little side business and show the world what you really do in this Asylum."

Doctor Albus rose to his feet as well,

"If you go along with that plan, I shall have no choice but to slit his wrists. The inmates here tend to be a bit suicidal. You shall not get him either."

Tom gaped at him and then smirked maliciously,

"Very well, Albus. I believe this is the moment we part ways."

He stepped out of the office and stopped by Harry,

"I will have you, Harry."

And then he was gone.

Harry woke up with a raging headache and buried his face in his pillow. At least he wasn't restrained. He had gotten through a session with Doctor Albus successfully. He deserved a medal for that. Harry tried to remember what Doctor Albus had talked to him about but his brain refused to cooperate and his headache spiked drastically. Harry tossed his head from side to side on the pillow, trying to shake off the unendurable pain and not to scream. It took a while but when Harry's headache subsided a bit, he sat up straight and looked around. The ward was dark and quite so that meant that everyone was asleep. He had never really woken up at this hour before. His gaze focused on the only door that led out of the ward and saw one of the orderlies seated there on a chair and fast asleep if his snores were anything to go by. He swung his legs off the bed. Could he really do it? Was this really the opportunity he had been waiting for?

He had never been more content with walking barefoot before. Slowly and carefully he padded across the cold tiled floor towards the door. The orderly had placed his chair right in the center of the doorway and the only way across him was either over the chair or under it. Harry figured going under was the more plausible option and dropped down to the floor on his belly. Crawling carefully between the orderly's feet when a shiny set of keys hanging from the orderly's belt made him stop. They could come in handy later. Slowly and very carefully, he clipped them off the belt and then crawled under the chair and through the doorway. Once in the corridor, he slotted himself behind a pillar and glanced around the corridor. There would more orderlies on guard duty and Harry definitely didn't want to run into any of them. The warm glow of a lantern suddenly lit up the dark corridor and footsteps accompanied it. It began to draw closer and Harry felt his heart beating out of his chest with dread. He plastered himself to the wall and pushed himself behind the pillar as much as he physically could.

The orderly passed him and when the corridor was dark again, Harry silently sighed out in relief and made his through it towards the stairs that led to the kitchen. He had considered escaping through the main door but termed it as impossible and dismissed the thought altogether. The kitchen was his safest bet at the moment. Harry reached the banister and looked down the stairs to find two orderlies strolling through the hallway at the bottom of the staircase. He instantly bent down and tried to come up with a plan. He couldn't understand how he was going to get past them unless he used a distraction. But any distraction would put the security in high alert and all the exits would be shut down immediately. He would get caught in no time. No, he had come too far to give up now. He needed to get out of this place so he could get his head back together. Harry sat there for a minute and noticed there strolling patterns and analysed their blind spots. It was doable. All he needed was to time it perfectly.

When both guards had their backs turned towards each other, Harry quickly made his way down the stairs and crawled straight into the small space under a table. He held his arms and legs as close to his body as he possible could and waited for them to complete their cycle. Once again when they both had their backs turned. Harry crawled from underneath the table to the doorway that led to the kitchens. Once inside Harry ducked under one of the counters and attempted to gather his breath. When his heartbeat had slowed down to a normal pace, he crawled through the kitchen as quietly as possible. When he reached the back exit, he realized that it was locked. But that wasn't a problem. He tried every key in the set that he had gotten from the orderly.

He had almost given up when the lock clicked indicating that the door was open. Harry couldn't contain his joy. He slipped open the door, just enough for him to slip through. And when Harry was safely out in the dark dirty alleyway, he ran like he had never run before, even his bare feet didn't hinder him.

 **Check out my new fanfic named "Ensnared". It's actually a Harry Potter Version of "The Beauty and the Beast" Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

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 **Check out my fanfic named "Elusion". Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

 **s/12775290/1/Elusion**

 **Check out my other fanfic named "No Escape." If you haven't checked it out yet. Just visit my profile or click on the link below**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry's feet ached, in fact his entire body was aching like hell along with his head. He had no idea where he was but he was certain that he had ran a long way and left the asylum far behind. He continued walking in the shadows of the empty, silent cobbled street lit only by the oil lamps. The cold night air made him shiver and tremble as it bit into his skin. The Asylum uniform he was dressed in offered him no protection…in fact if a policeman were to see him, he would most certainly recognize it and drop him off at the Asylum again. He wasn't going to allow that to happen. He had been lucky enough to escape once. Fate would not favour him twice.

An orange glow radiating from an alley a few steps ahead of him caught his eye and the sound of singing caught his attention. He peered from the corner and saw the back of a shabby looking man stooped over a small fire. He noticed a bottle in the man's left hand and wondered. The warmth was tantalizing him. He was tempted to step into the alley and just warm his numb feet and hands in front of the fire. But what if the man recognized his uniform and dragged him back to the Asylum. Was the warmth worth the risk? On the other hand, the man sounded too drunk. His voice was slurred as he hummed some tune. Harry took the chance and stepped into the alley. His feet made no sound as he walked towards the man and when he was standing right behind him, he spoke,

"Hello."

The man jumped and turned. He cradled the bottle close to his chest as he took in the sight of Harry and Harry took in the sight of him. The man was dressed in rags and was emanating a rancid smell that was a mixture of alcohol and sweat. Harry took a step back and tried not to breathe it in. The lowed half of his face was hidden by a long, mangy beard and the upper half was framed by shoulder length, matted, curly hair. His face was covered with grime and dirt. The only visible part of his face was his bloodshot, grey eyes, that were regarding him suspiciously. Harry didn't miss the way the man clutched his bottle close to his chest in a possessive hold…as if Harry was there to snatch it away from him,

"I don't want your bottle, Sir."

The man straightened up and Harry took another step backwards. He spoke in a gruff voice,

"What do you want then?"

Harry eyed the fire behind him and asked as politely as possible,

"Can I sit by the fire?"

The man's grey eyes lit up and he grinned…maybe…Harry wasn't sure because of the beard,

"Cold, are you?"

Harry nodded and the man opened his arms in a welcoming gesture,

"By all means, be my guest."

Harry dragged a broken-down crate from a pile of rubbish and settled down on it, close to the fire. The warmth felt heavenly against his freezing body and he warmed his hands and feet,

"Thank you."

The man paid him no attention as he took another swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth clean on the dirty sleeve of the shabby coat he was wearing. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry's eyes had closed at some point and he was now kneeling on the ground, close to the fire, with his arms folded on the crate and his aching head rested atop them. The man's drunken humming was oddly soothing and Harry felt like he was drifting off. He had drifted off because when the man cackled madly, Harry started and felt his heart jackrabbiting in his chest. He sat up straight and looked at the man who was clutching his stomach and laughing raucously. The empty bottle lay on the ground beside him. The man stopped laughing for a second, wiped his eyes, caught his breath and began laughing again. He spoke in between laughs,

"You're not…you're not wearing any shoes…"

Harry pursed his lips. He couldn't understand how that was funny. Maybe it was funny because he was drunk but Harry failed to see the humour in it. The man continued laughing for the next few minutes and then stopped abruptly. His expression grew sombre and he asked,

"Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Harry stared down at his bare feet and decided to give the man something to laugh about,

"I escaped from an Asylum."

Harry waited for the man to start laughing again but when he looked up, the man was staring at him intently. The fire that illuminated his grey eyes made him look serious and Harry had to wonder if the man really was drunk. He looked sober enough now and now that Harry had told him his secret, he was afraid…no afraid was an understatement…he was bloody terrified. The man rose to his feet and Harry jumped up as well. The man took a few staggering steps towards him and Harry backed away. Suddenly, the man stumbled and collapsed on his knees. Harry took that as his cue to run. He was about to but the man's body started heaving with sobs. Harry didn't know what made him do it but he bent down beside him and despite the pungent odour wafting off him, Harry helped him up and sat him down on the crate,

"Are you alright?"

The man continued to sob and Harry couldn't understand why,

"Why are you crying?"

The man stopped for a moment and hiccupped,

"You're scared of me."

Harry frowned,

"No…Not really."

The man rubbed his nose with his sleeve and spoke,

"You are. You were getting ready to run."

Harry shook his head,

"I wasn't scared of you…I was scared that you would take me back to the Asylum…"

The man shook his head and burst out into laughter again. Harry was glad he wasn't sobbing anymore. The laughter was much more bearable. Harry took a few steps back and settled on the ground opposite him close to the fire. Harry hugged his knees to the chest and soaked in as much of the warmth as he possibly could. His head was still throbbing and he wished he could just sleep for a while so that he could get rid of it and start remembering who he was and his past.

They spent an hour or two in silence but this time, Harry didn't doze off…instead the man lay curled up near the fire and slept like a baby. He looked up at the sky…the inky darkness was changing into a shade of dark purple. Dawn was approaching fast and the fire was nearly gone. Harry looked at the snoring form in front of him and rose to his feet. Where was he going to go? He must have had a home but he couldn't remember anything about it. His head ached worse than before and he clutched it. Stop thinking…He urged himself to stop thinking.

He was just lost in these thoughts when the man sat up straight, stretched and grinned,

"Morning, kiddo."

He yawned and stood up straight,

"I thought I had dreamed you up."

Harry didn't know what to say so he remained silent. The man stepped closer to him and Harry took a few steps back. The man frowned,

"Still scared of me? I'm not going to hurt you, kiddo…or take you back to the asylum."

Harry forced himself to remain still as the man approached him,

"Why were you being kept at the Asylum?"

Dumbledore's words echoed inside his head and his grip tightened on his hair,

"Because I'm not well."

Harry paused and then asked,

"Do I look mad?"

The man gave him a once over and then laughed softly…there was nothing derisive about it…in fact it seemed to warm Harry up a bit. Finally, the man spoke,

"You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret."

He leaned closer and Harry caught a whiff of that horrible smell again. Somehow it didn't bother him now. The man bent over his ear and spoke in a low conspiratorial whisper,

"All the best people are."

 **Check out my new fanfic named "Ensnared". It's actually a Harry Potter Version of "The Beauty and the Beast" Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

s/12845629/1/Ensnared

 **Check out my fanfic named "Elusion". Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

 **s/12775290/1/Elusion**

 **Check out my other fanfic named "No Escape." If you haven't checked it out yet. Just visit my profile or click on the link below**

s/12572454/1/No-Escape


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

The man eyed Harry closely and then spoke while moving his fingers through his mangy beard,

"You seem familiar. It's like I've seen you before."

Harry wondered if the man was really sober now or still a bit drunk. The man stepped away from him and shrugged out of his ragged coat and held it out to him,

"Wear this. It'll hide that terrible uniform."

The coat was emanating a rank stench but he pulled it on nonetheless. The man adjusted the collar and grinned behind the beard,

"So, where will you go?"

Harry thought hard about that. He didn't know. He didn't know where he was supposed to go. He didn't have anywhere to go. The only thing he remembered about himself was his name…Harry…That was all he remembered and it wasn't much at all. The man snapped his fingers and spoke,

"You could come with me."

Harry met his grey gaze, trying to understand if he should trust this man. The man's grin only grew brighter and his yellow teeth were on full display now,

"You say you escaped from the Asylum, right?"

Harry nodded his head silently,

"Well, I have to give it to you. You're smart for someone presumably mad."

The man offered his hand,

"Sirius Black, at your service."

Harry thought a moment before taking it,

"Harry."

Sirius raised an eyebrow,

"Just Harry? No last name?"

Harry tried to remember and a cry escaped his lips as sharp pain lanced through his head. Sirius was holding him in the blink of an eye,

"What happened, kiddo?"

Harry opened his eyes and rasped out,

"I can't remember."

Sirius rubbed soothing circles on his back,

"It's alright. You'll remember."

When the pain had receded, Sirius released him and Harry stood up straight,

"What do you remember about yourself, Harry?"

Harry was still holding his head and spoke,

"Just my name."

Sirius frowned,

"What about your age?"

He should know that. Harry realized that he should at least know his own age. He looked down at himself and then up at Sirius,

"How old do I look?"

Sirius gave him a once over and then spoke,

"Somewhere between seventeen to nineteen."

Harry tried not to think about that because he was afraid he might have another headache. Sirius patted him on the shoulder,

"So, will you come with me, Kiddo? You seem like you can't look after yourself and I don't think my conscience can bear finding your corpse in some alley."

Harry nodded his head. He had no choice. Sirius looked down at his bare feet pointedly and began toeing off his shoes. Harry shook his hand,

"I'm fine."

Sirius nudged the shoes towards him with his feet,

"Go on. Wear them. I have my socks on."

Harry hesitated for a moment before fitting his feet in the shoes. They were two or three sizes bigger but Harry managed to keep his feet firmly planted in them,

"So, ready to go?"

Harry looked at Sirius, hoping and wishing that he wasn't falling into a deeper trap and nodded. Sirius picked up the empty liquor bottle from the floor and began making his way out of the alley. The sun was just beginning to rise and Sirius walked through the still quite and vacant streets purposefully. Harry followed him through several narrow alleys and streets. The sun was fully up by the time they reached a dilapidated building. Sirius made his way inside but Harry stopped at the steps and stared at it in apprehension. Sirius turned around and took his hand,

"Come on. You followed me this far. Just trust me a little more."

Sirius began leading him inside the building which was dark and smelled mouldy. Harry couldn't make out anything in the dark corridor but he heard movements and voices. The building was definitely occupied. The windows were all boarded up and Harry wondered how the people made it without sunlight. Sirius came to a halt and began struggling with a door. Harry jumped when he growled,

"Bloody door!"

He kicked it hard and the door finally gave in and opened with an ominous creak. He led Harry in. If he painted the walls black the room couldn't be any darker. The once frilly net curtains at the boarded window were thick with over a decade of grime. The light that struggled through the gaps in the boards failed to reflect from the once beige carpet that was more like a forest floor in both colour and texture. The walls could be any shade at all, he couldn't tell. Harry noticed that several empty liquor bottles littered the floor. The only furniture in the room was a stained mattress that was set on the floor in the center of the room and a cupboard that had one door hanging on its hinges. Sirius waved around with his arms,

"Mi case es su casa."

Harry eyed the room warily. He knew he should be feeling grateful for the fact that he at least had a roof over his head but he didn't. He just wished he could remember who he was and where his home was so that he could go back to his life. Sirius sank down on the mattress and signalled for Harry to come and lie down as well. Harry knew he wouldn't be comfortable sharing a bed with another man but desperate times called for desperate measures. He pulled off the shoes and the coat and looked for a place to put them. He wasn't comfortable with just dropping them on the carpet. Sirius signalled towards the cupboard lazily and spoke,

"There is a blanket in there if you want it."

Harry placed the shoes next to the cupboard and put the coat inside. The cupboard was stuffed with all manners of things. There was a pile of newspapers, a mound of unfolded clothes that all looked absolutely filthy and two more pairs of muddy shoes. He found the ratty blanket at the top most shelf. He had just turned back to thank Sirius when he realized that the man was already asleep. Harry laid down on the mattress slowly and wrapped the blanket around himself. At first, he didn't feel comfortable about letting his guard down but the discomfort vanished gradually and soon enough Harry drifted off to sleep.

 **Check out my new fanfic named "Ensnared". It's actually a Harry Potter Version of "The Beauty and the Beast" Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

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 **Check out my fanfic named "Elusion". Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

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 **Check out my other fanfic named "No Escape." If you haven't checked it out yet. Just visit my profile or click on the link below**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

The forest was the orchestra of his mind, playing one enchanting symphony after another. The leaves danced to an unheard beat, whispering their songs to the wind. Sheltered by the mighty trees, was every kind of life, from the humble beetle to enchanting birds of every colour. Harry held his hands up to feel the cascading light, a brilliant white shaft illuminating the path that took him onward.

The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam, damp too. The soil was pleasantly wet, slowly releasing its heady fog. Harry knew that outside the forest was noon daylight, but in here everything was cool and the colours had the softness of that time just before twilight. The only movement as Harry made his way through the trees was the occasional bird, startling in a tree or a squirrel dashing up a nearby trunk. The huckleberries were mostly red, tart but with just the right amount of sweetness. The sound of running water in the brook had a hypnotic quality as music, Harry wanted to stop just to drink in the sound but his feet kept leading him on.

The farther Harry travelled into the forest, the darker it grew and the more uncertain he felt. He should stop, he should turn around and go back but his feet kept him moving. The unnatural, choking mist that swirled and sprawled on the forest floor now was the first thing that spoke of a strange sort of wrongness. A sickly red substance oozed from the barks of dark withered trees. He was surrounded by suffocating silence now. The smoke only parted to swallow up his feet as he marched upon the giant dead, festering eyeball of the forest floor. Everything was dead. Dark, twisted branches reached towards him like the gnarled hands of some beast, trying to take possession of him.

Harry could feel the darkness drawing closer to him and pressing down, suffocating him slowly as he stepped carefully through the thick maze of woodland. The densely packed dark trees loomed high above, but remained still despite the icy breeze that continued to flow around him. Harry had to squint, only to see a path of gloom and uncertainty ahead.

He didn't know where he was headed. He just knew that he had to get there and his feet were determined to lead him. As he walked fearlessly under the dark tresses of the trees, his feet caressed the velvet flesh of the forest ground he wondered if he should find the dark coils of the woods so foreboding. He didn't. He didn't feel anything except for that need to keep moving.

Ahead the forest trees grew thinner, a clearing perhaps or a glade? As he drew closer he saw that it was neither. The river was a slice of mellow harmony amidst the dark, dead forest. It flowed like time onward toward its destiny. In the shade of the boughs Harry wade in, feeling the welcome kiss of coolness, watching the eddies that swirled and disappeared. The water surface was livened by brief crescents of white that were fish arcing as they swam. His eyes travelled downstream, caressing the dapples that brought the shine of the water to a hue so homely. He stifled a giggle. This forest was so far from the home he had left, but right now it didn't matter a bit. This moment was his own and right now, he was at home.

Home…That one word forced Harry to stop and the world to stop around him. Where was his home? Where was it? Harry looked around as if the answer would magically appear but it didn't. Instead the cool, clear water running around his feet turned a deep shade of red and turned warm and viscous. The white fish that had been swimming so merrily a little while ago began popping up dead all around him. Harry's heart hammered in his chest. He needed to move but his feet wouldn't budge. Something….or someone grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the river. He looked up from the blood and saw that it was a man who was dragging him out of the river.

When Harry was deposited on the bank, he took a good long look at the man. The man had sleek curly locks and a neat beard. He was dressed in well fitted suit and exuded an air of confidence and careless arrogance. The grey eyes were familiar. They seemed familiar. The lines around the man's eyes crinkled as he smiled. Harry wanted to thank him. He opened his mouth but no sound came out. The man turned his back to him and began walking away. Harry wanted to follow him but his feet held him rooted to the spot.

When the man had vanished into the darkness, Harry turned around to face the river of blood again but the river was gone. The forest began to evaporate into a mist all around him and soon enough there was nothing. He saw nothing… no light, no shadows, just empty white. Every surface was dustless and the ceramic tiled floor reflected every detail of the passage as he walked through it. The atmosphere was placid, almost silent, only white noise was hypnotizing him. There were no doors, no windows, only more walls stretching away like at the Asylum. He was back at the Asylum. No…No…No…This couldn't be happening.

He started to sweat, tremble, his heart beating faster. Walking became running in an attempt to find a way out, his eyes following to where the white became darkness. All he wanted to do was to give up, cry for someone to save him…cry for that man to save him again…Sirius…That had been Sirius who had saved him earlier. But he was nowhere in sight and Harry understood with a sense of despair that no one would, no one could, no one was there. He had to get out no matter what. He couldn't go through it all again. His only choice of escape was to follow the infinite passage leading into the unknown...

 **Check out my new fanfic named "Ensnared". It's actually a Harry Potter Version of "The Beauty and the Beast" Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

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 **Check out my fanfic named "Elusion". Let me know what you guys think. Just follow the link below or visit my profile. Looking forward your feedback**

 **s/12775290/1/Elusion**

 **Check out my other fanfic named "No Escape." If you haven't checked it out yet. Just visit my profile or click on the link below**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

He came back to his senses and for a moment he fought with tooth and nail against the hands holding him down. He was convinced that he was back in the asylum, restrained to the bed,

"Wake up, Kiddo…It was just a nightmare…You were having a nightmare…"

That voice… Who did that voice belong to? He stopped fighting and cautiously opened his eyes. A familiar face greeted him that was covered mostly with a mangy beard. He looked away from the face and took in his surroundings…

He wasn't in the asylum… This didn't seem like the asylum. Had he managed to escape then? The man released him and knelt by his side on the mattress. Harry closed his eyes and struggled to piece together the fragments of his memories that were simply floating around in his head. Pain…Sharp and sudden lanced through his head and a cry escaped his lips.

He opened his eyes when he felt the man touch his forehead,

"Are you alright, Kiddo?"

Harry held his gaze for a minute. There was something warm and kind about his eyes. He just wished he could remember his name or how he'd met him or where he was. He went over everything he remembered in his head and that was his name. Harry…That was his name…He couldn't remember anything else.

The man reached forward and touched his cheek,

"Say something, Kiddo."

He squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to remember. The pain grew tenfold and prevented him from recalling. The frustration drove him to tears and he wept desolately. Suddenly, he was being held tight and the man was whispering comforts to him,

"Ssshhh…Kiddo…It's going to be alright…Everything will be alright…"

He couldn't help but wrap his arms around the man as he burrowed his face in his chest…desperate for comfort…desperate for safety…

The man held him for a few minutes and then pulled away. He reached forward and wiped away his tears before speaking softly,

"Tell me what's wrong…Talk to me."

Harry held his gaze and spoke,

"I can't remember you…your name…where I am…how I got here…"

The man frowned before smiling kindly and helped him into a sitting position before pulling him into his arms,

"I can help you with that. There was no need for you to cry."

Harry allowed himself to relax into his hold and the man started speaking,

"My name is Sirius Black. This is where I live. You met me in an alleyway last night and told me you'd escaped from the asylum. This morning, I asked you if you wanted to come home with me and you agreed."

Harry closed his eyes as the images flashed on the forefront of his mind but along with those images came memories of the nightmare he'd had, and he couldn't help but whimper. Sirius tightened his hold on him and inquired softly,

"What's wrong?"

Harry opened his eyes and regarded Sirius for a moment before speaking,

"It was just a nightmare."

His stomach growled noisily, and Harry couldn't help but blush as Sirius chuckled and touched his cheek,

"There's no need for you to be embarrassed. In fact, it should be the other way around. I'm a terrible host."

Sirius rose to his feet, retrieved his coat and shoes from the cupboard and spoke,

"Just stay here. I'll be right back."

Harry nodded silently as he pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in them. He felt guilty for inconveniencing Sirius. It was almost as if Sirius had read his mind because he spoke from the door,

"Don't feel guilty. I would have gone out to get myself something to eat even if you hadn't been here."

He nodded without looking up and heard the door opening and closing that signalled Sirius's departure. Instantly, the silence began to unnerve him, and he pulled the blanket over himself and hid under it.

* * *

He stormed into the Asylum, unceremoniously shoving his umbrella and bag into one of the orderly's hand before bursting through the door that led to the old bastard's office,

"Where is he?"

Dumbledore made no move to look up from the book he was reading and merely spoke,

"Hello to you too, Tom. How are you doing?"

He snatched the book from Dumbledore's hand and tossed it away before gritting out,

"What did you do with him, Albus?"

Dumbledore stared up at him, his blue gaze completely unconcerned as he spoke,

"What is the matter, Tom? You seem bothered…"

He resisted the urge to grab the old man and strangle the life out of him. His informant had broken the news to him this morning that Harry had gone missing from the Asylum and he'd found himself unable to breathe as he'd remembered the threat Dumbledore had dealt him. Had Dumbledore really killed him off? He could have. That old bastard was perfectly capable of it. If Dumbledore had really killed him then? Then the guilt would surely be the death of him. His desire to possess Harry would be the reason he was dead. He hadn't been able to get him out of his mind all night and he'd spent every minute planning how exactly he was going to make Harry his but when he'd been delivered the news this morning…It had felt like the earth had been snatched away from right underneath his feet. No, he simply couldn't be dead,

"Tell me you have not killed him…Tell me…"

Dumbledore had the nerve to chuckle and inquire,

"Who exactly are you talking about, Tom?"

He slammed his hands down on the desk and shouted,

"HARRY…HARRY POTTER…I AM TALKING ABOUT HARRY POTTER, YOU BLOODY BASTARD!"

Dumbledore rose to his feet steadily and walked towards him before speaking calmly,

"You must be mistaken, My Boy. Harry Potter died along with his parents two months ago."

He couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief and then Dumbledore spoke,

"You do not seem well, Tom. Have you been sleeping well? I could prescribe you something to help with that if…"

He didn't have the fortitude to listen to anymore of this. He turned his back to Dumbledore and silently made his way out of his office as his heart sank in his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

The boy was a shaking, trembling mess when he returned, and he cursed internally. He put the basket down by the mattress and pulled the blanket away from him,

"Kiddo…I'm here…I'm back…"

But the boy seemed to be lost somewhere. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and he just kept quivering uncontrollably as he whimpered and sobbed. It broke his heart to see the kid so broken and damaged. He looked so vulnerable and fragile. The boy needed some serious looking after and he just wasn't the right candidate for the job. But he knew someone who could look after him and hopefully make him better.

He would have to do for now so he pulled the boy into his arms and spoke in a low soothing whisper,

"Ssshhh…Harry… I'm here….No one will hurt you…"

The boy bought against his hold initially but he held onto him tight and continued to speak to him,

"You're safe, Harry…You're safe… This isn't the asylum. You're away from Dumbledore…He can't find you…He can't hurt you…"

Harry eventually began to calm down until he was completely limp in his arms. He ran his fingers through his messy raven black locks and couldn't help but wonder where he'd seen him. He looked too familiar but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall. He gave up and laid Harry back down.

Heavens knew what dastardly concoctions Dumbledore had been feeding him and the effects they'd had on him and his mind. Albus Dumbledore held a respectable station in the eyes of the public but only a select few people knew about his true nature. He was a beast…a demon…One might go as far as to call him the very Devil himself. The unspeakable horrors that took place behind the closed door of his so called Asylum were enough to make grown men cower in fear.

He'd learned all about Dumbledore and his evil ways when he'd started working as an orderly in his Asylum. The way Dumbledore manipulated his patients…brainwashed them with his wicked concoctions and turned them into utterly submissive slaves before selling them off like dolls. He'd feigned illness and left the town. But, unemployment forced him back to London. He worked as a handyman and performed whatever odd jobs he could get his hands on to keep himself fed. His addiction to alcohol was something that couldn't be helped so he had to feed that as well.

Harry moaned softly in his sleep and his features scrunched up as if he was in pain. He must be having another nightmare. If he'd been at the asylum, then Dumbledore must have been in the process of conditioning him. He watched the way Harry fisted the blanket and the way his body jerked violently before he pulled him back into his arms and began soothing him once more.

He had no idea how Harry had managed it, but he was extremely glad that he'd escaped Dumbledore's evil clutches. The boy seemed too innocent…too naïve…There was something pure about him. Dumbledore would have stripped him bare of all that and thrown him to the wolves. Harry held on tight to him and he continued to rub his back as he relaxed again.

It was hours later that Harry woke up again. His emerald eyes were completely blank for a moment and he wondered if his memories had vanished again but then he blinked, and recognition settled into them along with a certain hint of uncertainty. He spoke his name in a low broken whisper that sounded more like a question,

"Sirius?"

Sirius smiled and patted him on the cheek,

"Yes…Kiddo…Sirius…"

Relief flashed through Harry's eyes and he helped him sit up straight,

"How are you feeling now?"

Harry looked around the room before focusing on him and spoke,

"Better."

He smiled and pulled the basket over the mattress,

"You need to eat."

Harry's stomach growled noisily, and he nodded shakily,

"Okay."

He tore off a piece from the loaf of bread before buttering it up and held it out to Harry. Harry took it in his hands like it was something sacred before he took a bite and then another and another until was gone like it had never existed. He was all skin and bones. He knew the diet they served at the asylum…tasteless, bland glob that was designed to provide no nourishment to the patients…only sustenance. The sole purpose of the glob was to keep the patients alive. That was it. That was another technique Dumbledore used to break the patients. The patients believed they were fed three times a day but since they got no nourishment from the meals, their bodies grew weak and their minds followed which made it easier for Dumbledore to manipulate them.

He buttered up another piece for Harry and Harry ate that up faster than the first one. Harry would need a lot of care if he ever hoped to get better and once again, he couldn't help but think that he was the most terrible candidate for that. He really would need to take him to someone who was much more capable. It would take a lot of grovelling, but he was sure that it would get the job done. Harry would be safe there. He would be well fed and well looked after.

Harry was eating his third piece when he inquired softly,

"Do you trust me?"

Harry had his mouth full of bread, so he simply nodded. He smiled and spoke,

"I know this isn't the best place to live so I'm going to take you to a friend of mine."

Harry looked utterly terrified. He swallowed the bit of bread he'd been chewing on and then spoke,

"I don't…don't want to go…"

He reached forward and took his hand that was absolutely freezing cold,

"It's going to be fine, Harry. You'll be fine…"

Harry looked nowhere near placated, but he still nodded and spoke in a small voice,

"I trust you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry couldn't help but cling to Sirius's arm as he came to a halt outside a street that was bustling with activity. Women dressed in tight corsets that could barely contain their breasts were leaning against the shop fronts and lamp posts accosting every man that passed. There were boys too…prettily dressed in clothes that clung to their lean frames and showed off their figures…Harry couldn't help but be afraid.

Had he made an error in trusting Sirius? Was Sirius going to sell him off here? Sirius squeezed his hand and spoke,

"Relax…Kiddo…You're safe…No one will hurt you here…"

He began leading him towards a building but a red-haired woman dressed in a pink and black Victorian styled dress came to stand in their way,

"Well...well…well… If it ain't the notorious Mr. Black."

Sirius chuckled softly and leered at the woman,

"What do you want, Denise?"

She scowled at Sirius for a moment before turning her gaze to him,

"I see you've decided to switch sides. Women aren't enough to satisfy you anymore?"

Sirius barked out a laugh,

"Heavens no… You know me… I would lay down anything for a pretty woman…"

She blushed before thumping Sirius hard on the chest,

"You humiliated me in front of everyone. I will never forgive you for that."

Sirius raised his hand and cupped her cheek,

"That was not my intention, Denise…I am truly sorry if I hurt you."

Harry saw the way, the woman practically melted at that. Sirius held her gaze until a smile curved her painted lips and she looked back at him,

"What are you doing with the kid then?"

Sirius shook his head,

"Can't tell you now…I'll see you later."

Sirius pressed a quick kiss to her lips and the woman flushed scarlet before moving out of their way. Sirius led him through the door inside a building that was alive with all manners of sights and sounds…some of which made Harry's cheeks flush. He was led through several corridors until he was standing outside a particularly ornate looking door. A tall burly man stood guard at it and Sirius addressed him like they were old friends,

"Avery…How are you doing this fine evening?"

The man grunted noncommittally. Sirius was about to walk past him when he stopped him,

"Madame doesn't wish to see you."

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and feigned offense,

"That isn't even possible? Why wouldn't she want to see me? I'm her cousin…"

He ducked under Avery's large frame, pushed open the door and vanished inside it. Harry could only watch as Avery rushed inside after him. For a moment, he wondered whether he should go in. His doubts were cleared a moment later when a sullen looking Avery stepped back outside and spoke,

"Go right in, Lad."

Harry stepped into the room and found Sirius standing with a breathtakingly attractive woman. She was tall and beautiful, with long, thick, shiny dark hair, thin lips, heavily-lidded eyes with long eyelashes, and a strong jaw. She was dressed in an elegant black dress that screamed of her power and status. She scrutinized him, and Harry wanted nothing more than to vanish into the thick Persian carpet that covered the floor and finally spoke in a soft yet powerful voice,

"I owe you nothing, Black."

There was a pause and then she spoke,

"But after this, you will certainly owe me."

She beckoned him closer with a large painted nail and Harry obeyed silently,

"Look at you…You're so pretty…"

She took his wrist and pulled him closer. Harry stiffened and was about to take a step back, but she prevented it. Sirius opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off sharply,

"Don't you dare interfere."

She held him in place and cupped his cheek,

"You're so pretty yet your eyes…they speak of so much pain and anguish…"

Harry was about to turn his head, but she stopped him,

"No…Let me read your eyes."

Harry couldn't help but hold her gaze. After a minute of silence, she finally released him and led him to one of the couches,

"Sit down, Boy."

Harry sat down reluctantly…not knowing what to expect…not knowing what he was doing here in the first place…Why had Sirius brought him here? Why had he brought him to this woman?

The woman settled down beside him on the couch and grasped his hand,

"Tell me your name."

Harry stared down into his lap and spoke,

"Harry…"

The woman squeezed his hand and spoke,

"Where do you come from, Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes as he tried to remember. Sirius finally spoke up,

"He doesn't remember. He escaped from Dumbledore's asylum."

The woman's grip grew impossibly tight on his hand at that and the venom was so obvious in her voice when she spoke,

"That old bastard…"

She seemed to realize that she was hurting him and released his hand,

"Open your eyes, Harry…Look at me…"

Harry opened his eyes reluctantly and met her gaze once again. The fact that her eyes resembled Sirius's calmed him down some,

"My name is Madame Bellatrix Lestrange. I am the owner of this brothel."

Harry couldn't do anything but nod at her introduction and finally voiced the question that was eating at him,

"Why am I here?"

Harry hadn't meant to sound afraid, but his voice was filled with it. Madame Bellatrix cupped his cheek gently and spoke,

"My cousin wants me to take care of you."

Harry looked at Sirius for confirmation and Sirius nodded before speaking,

"Bella will keep you safe here. She will look after you. You can trust her. She will not hurt you."

Harry turned to look at Madame Bellatrix and she smiled,

"Yes, you can trust me, Harry."

Harry didn't know what to do. This was a brothel. Would Bellatrix expect him to….

Bella cut across his thoughts,

"You will not be expected to do anything you don't want to, Harry."

Sirius approached him and sat down next to him,

"You'll be fine here, Kiddo. You'll be happy. I'll come visit you everyday if you need me to."

Harry nodded quickly and spoke,

"I need you to."

Sirius pulled him in his arms and rubbed his back,

"It has only been twenty-four hours, Kiddo. But it feels like I've known you forever."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry looked around the small room, Bellatrix had shown him into and sat down on the edge of the bed as he listened to Sirius and Bellatrix talk outside the room in hushed whispers. He heard enough to know that Sirius was telling him all about how he was inclined to forget everything whenever he fell asleep.

It bothered him though…His own inability to hold memories bothered him. Whatever medicine Dumbledore had given him should have worn off by now. His mind should be working properly. But it wasn't. It wasn't fine. He wasn't fine. His head throbbed again as if to remind him of the consequences of thinking too much and he laid back on the bed and closed his eyes.

There had to be a way he could remember who he'd been and where he'd lived. He must have a family somewhere…people who would probably be looking for him…missing him…Or maybe not. If he'd been dear to someone, they would have probably found him by now. How long had he been at Dumbledore's Asylum? How long had Dumbledore been messing with his head? Would he ever be normal again?

The door opened and the clicking of the heels told him that It was Bellatrix. He opened his eyes and straightened up just as Bellatrix sat down on the bed beside him,

"How are you feeling?"

Harry ran his fingers over the smooth linen sheets and spoke,

"I'm fine."

She cupped his cheek and smiled,

"Be honest, Harry."

Harry ran his gaze around the room again and spoke,

"Will you make me sleep with people?"

Bellatrix's smile fell instantly and she took his hand,

"I told you…You will not be expected to do anything you don't want to…That includes sleeping with people…"

Harry held her gaze and sighed,

"I can't live here for free and I don't have any money that I can pay you with."

Bellatrix stroked a spot underneath his ear with her thumb as her smile returned,

"Just get better first. Then there are a few day to day chores you can do to help around here."

Harry stared down at Bellatrix's hand that was holding his and spoke,

"I'm as fine as I'll probably ever be."

She raised his face up and made him meet his gaze again,

"You'll be fine. I'll take so much care of you that you'll remember everything in no time."

Harry couldn't help but smile at that and Bellatrix rose to her feet,

"I'll have Amelia bring you something to eat. After that you should get some sleep."

Harry tensed up at the idea of sleep and Bellatrix must have picked up on it because she spoke,

"It's going to be fine. My room is three doors down. I'll be here when you'll wake up."

She was about to walk away when she turned back around and spoke,

"No one sleeps around here during the night, so the noise might bother you, but you'll get used to it. There's cotton wool in the nightstand if you feel like plugging up your ears."

Harry nodded and spoke,

"Thank you, Madame Bellatrix. You're very kind for letting me stay here."

Bellatrix's smile widened and she spoke,

"Everyone here refers to me as Mistress Bella…But you can call me Bella."

Harry entwined his fingers and stared at them as he spoke,

"Respecting you is my duty, Mistress Bella. After all, you've done so much for me."

Bellatrix cackled loudly,

"I haven't done anything for you yet, Harry."

And with that she walked out of the room. Harry went over the conversation a hundred times in his head, looking for a sign to not trust Bellatrix but there wasn't. Once, he couldn't help but survey his surroundings and wondered how much time he would have to spend here.

He was just thinking about that when a woman stepped into the room with a tray balanced on her hip. She was square jawed with close cropped hair and a very severe look in her eyes. She placed the tray on the nightstand and spoke in a loud, booming voice,

"So…You're the new lad that everyone's gossiping about."

Harry couldn't help but shrink into himself under her scrutiny. She gripped his chin tight and turned his head, this way and that before letting out a satisfied hum,

"You're a pretty boy. They'll be frothing at the mouth when they get a look at you."

Harry didn't want to know who they were, but he had a vague idea. Surely, Bellatrix wouldn't let that happen to him. She'd said that he didn't have to do anything he didn't want…

Amelia laughed softly and released his chin,

"Eat your dinner, Lad. Heaven knows, you definitely need some meat on your bones or you won't be able to keep up. I'll collect the dishes later."

And with that, she walked away. Harry stared at the tray of food and tried to quell the waves of nausea roiling in his stomach. Once again, the uncertainties returned…ten times more powerful than the last time and Harry was once again forced to think about his decision of trusting Bellatrix.

The smell of food however revived his appetite and he ended up finishing everything that was on the plates. Having food in his belly somehow made him feel a hundred times better than he'd felt in days and he couldn't help but curl up on the bed and close his eyes.

The noises from downstairs and the adjacent rooms forced him to heed Bellatrix's advice and he ended up plugging his ears after all. After that, it was just a matter of closing his eyes and sleep enveloped him readily…as if it had been waiting for it…almost like a predator sprang at its prey at the first hint of vulnerability.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

He woke up to that same darkness that always veiled his mind whenever he woke up from his nightmare. He sat up straight, pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them as he fearfully took in his surroundings. Where was he? What was going on? How had he gotten here?

The door opened and Harry instantly dived under the blankets as his body trembled worse than a leaf in autumn breeze,

"Sugar…"

The clicking of the heels that followed that sweet voice forced his trembling to stop and his heart to slow down. Slowly, the blanket was pulled away from his head and a soft hand stroked his cheek,

"Sugar…Wake up… You're safe…"

He forced his eyes open and was met with the sight of gorgeous dark eyes. All at once the memories came crashing over him and he cried out as it became too much. Soft, warm arms enveloped him and that voice wrapped around him like a blanket,

"Sssshhh…You're fine… You're alright…"

The memories began slowing down until he could make sense of them… Until his brain could properly process them and he remembered everything that had happened to him in the past days…There was still that impenetrable wall inside his head that kept all his other memories blocked away and out of his reach and he couldn't break it no matter what…no matter how hard he tried…

Bellatrix released him and Harry kept his eyes closed a few minutes longer as he recovered. He'd been here for a month now and it oddly felt like home to him. Bellatrix was there every morning when he woke up and she only retired to her chambers to rest when she was absolutely certain that he was completely fine.

He usually spent the day going through the chores that were assigned to him and he was more than happy to do them because they kept him busy and his mind off of everything. He liked the routine… It made him feel useful…It made him feel normal… But he wasn't… Even after a month, he couldn't remember a single thing about his past…about himself before he'd been locked up in that Asylum.

Bellatrix cupped his cheek and spoke gently,

"You will be fine. Just be patient…"

Harry opened his eyes and smiled at her as he nodded,

"Thank you, Mistress."

Bellatrix huffed as she rose to her feet,

"I told you not to call me that."

Harry lowered his gaze,

"I must respect you, Madame."

Bellatrix waved her hand dismissively,

"I don't need it from you, Harry."

Harry pushed away the blankets and rose to his feet,

"May I have my list of chores for today, Mistress?"

Bellatrix sighed but a fond smile curved her painted lips as she pulled out a rolled-up list from her silk pouch,

"A very special guest shall be arriving today, and the brothel must be absolutely spotless. Amelia, Roslyn and Shelly shall take care of all the exterior cleaning. Your job is to change the covers in all the rooms and dust all the furniture. There is no obligation to perform all the tasks on that list. If you get tired then you must rest… Consider that an order, Harry…"

Harry nodded obediently and Bella rested her hand on his shoulder,

"That being said… I did have the pantry restocked with all the items you asked for… So, if you feel up to it, you may have the kitchens to yourself today… I shall order Amelia not to disturb you."

Harry could feel his smile get brighter. He'd discovered that he rather liked cooking and Bella had given him a recipe book that he absolutely adored and he occasionally tried out recipes from it whenever he could but Amelia usually got cross with him whenever he was in the kitchen and her dislike for him had only increased after Bella had told her off for it once,

"I'm sure that whatever you will cook shall be absolutely scrumptious and our guest shall enjoy it as well."

Harry bowed his head,

"I can never thank you enough, Mistress."

Bella smiled as she cupped his chin,

"I enjoy seeing you happy, Sugar… Your smile is payment enough for me."

Harry couldn't help but blush at that. Bella caressed his cheek and spoke,

"Keep smiling, Sugar."

She had just turned to leave when she turned back around and spoke,

"Oh, and you have to prepare my exclusive black gown for tonight."

Harry nodded vigorously and spoke,

"It shall be done, Mistress."

Bella patted him on the head and spoke,

"Good… I shall see you in the evening then."

She walked away and Harry hurriedly freshened up before shovelling down the breakfast Amelia had left for him. After that he grabbed the laundry basket and began gathering the covers from all the rooms and transported them to the washing room. Later he dusted off the furniture and mopped up the floor until he was certain that every inch of every room was spotless. He grabbed clean linens from the housekeeping room and made sure that every room was perfect before he made his way into Bella's chamber as silently as possible and retrieved her gown from her wardrobe.

He set it up on the mannequin and went about cleaning it up and shining up all the gems and buttons present on it until he saw his reflection in them. Once satisfied that the dress was perfectly spotless, he decided to proceed to the kitchen.

Amelia was no where in sight and he was very happy with that as he began gathering up ingredients for the recipes he was supposed to be trying today. It had to be absolutely perfect because Bella had indicated that her special guest would be dining with her. There was no room for error today.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry stood by the counter as he watched Bella taste everything he'd made. He was struggling to read her face expressions, but they gave nothing away. When she was done, she took some time to turn around and look at him.

Even though he had full faith that everything he'd cooked had turned out better than his expectations, he still wasn't sure if it was up to the standard of Bella's special guest. She was all dressed up in the black gown. Her sleek black curls were fashionably styled, and her makeup was absolutely flawless. Her painted red lips curved up into a smile as she stepped closer to him and rested her heavily bejewelled hands on his shoulders,

"Scrumptious… Absolutely delightful…"

Harry let out a sigh of relief and Bella patted him on the cheek gently,

"Now…Have your dinner and go straight to your room, Sugar… I don't want you to be out in the open when my guest arrives."

Harry nodded obediently. Bella usually always sent him to his room when the clients began pouring in. She was always afraid that someone might see him and demand to have him. Bella pressed a kiss to his cheek and walked out of the kitchen. He settled down on the small wooden table and hurriedly had his dinner. He was just about to get up and go to his room when Amelia strolled in.

Harry had never seen her dressed up as much as she was today. She was wearing a purple ruffled silk gown and surprisingly enough makeup…He'd never seen her with makeup before. The guest had to be special…

Amelia scoffed at the sight of him and spoke,

"It's a pity you won't be able to see Mr. Riddle…"

Mr. Riddle… Why did that name sound so familiar? But he'd never heard it before…Maybe he had and didn't remember it… Maybe the memory related to it was on the other side of that wall inside his head.

Amelia was smiling dreamily and staring at the window as she spoke,

"He's so handsome and charming… He's probably the most handsome man in all of London…"

His head throbbed painfully and he spoke with extreme difficulty,

"I'm going to my room, Amelia."

Amelia was still lost in whatever daydream she was having as Harry nearly ran out of the kitchen and to his room. He closed the door and locked it before collapsing back on the bed. Burying his face in the pillow, he screamed as hard as he could as the pain grew beyond his endurance. His head felt like it was going to explode, and he buried his nails in the covers. His body shook and trembled as he screamed and cried in agony.

The pillow muffled his screams to some extent but it did nothing for the pain. He couldn't help but thrash and writhe as it peaked until there came a moment when his vision blacked out completely and he was forced to think that he'd died.

But he wasn't dead… He realized that when sensation started returning to his body and he forced his eyelids open. The first thing he heard was the distant sound of music coming from outside. The band was playing beautifully and Harry felt extremely soothed by it.

Running his fingers through his hair, he sat up straight and listened to the music some more. At least his headache was gone. He was very grateful for that.

The sounds coming from above were louder than normal and he could practically feel the celebration and joy in the atmosphere. Who was Mr. Riddle? Why was he so important? There was an insane urge inside him to catch a glimpse of him.

No…He couldn't…

Bella would be so cross if she found out that he'd left his room. Taking a deep breath, he laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. He needed to focus on sleeping… Usually, he had no trouble drifting off since he was so exhausted from all the chores but today…today, the only thing he could think about was Mr. Riddle and what he looked like.

He spent half an hour tossing and turning and before he could stop himself, he was on his feet and slipping them into his shoes. Carefully, he snuck out of the bedroom and stuck to the shadows as he made his way through the corridors. From the gossip going on, he ascertained that Mr. Riddle was inside Bella's chambers.

He could still turn around and go back to his room. Bella would be so disappointed in him if she discovered him in her chambers…But the madness prevailed, and he crept to Bella's room as carefully as possible and found the side entrance to be open just a crack… just enough for him to get a peek.

No one apart from him was allowed to use the side entrance because Bella made him singularly responsible for cleaning her chambers and preparing her dresses for the evenings. He settled down on the floor and peeped through the crack, but his vision was blocked by the golden jacquard privacy curtain that separated the bedroom from the lounging area.

The clatter of the knife and fork against the plate indicated that they were eating. Harry could hear their conversation though and it was mostly about business. He could barely see the back of Mr. Riddle's head as he reclined in the high-backed chair,

"So, dear Bella. You must tell me why the food tastes so special today."

Harry felt his cheeks heat up at the praise and he heard Bella laugh softly,

"You have visited us after quite a while, Sire… Perhaps, that is the reason why it tastes so special."

Mr. Riddle was silent for a while but when he spoke his voice was filled with wistful longing,

"Yes… I have been in mourning."

Bella's voice was full of concerned when she inquired,

"May I know the reason, Sire?"

More silence… And then Mr. Riddle's spoke sadly,

"No, Bella… You may not… But what you may know is that I have come here tonight to forget it."

Bella's voice was full of sympathy and conviction as she said,

"Worry not, Sire… Come morning, you shall have forgotten all your anxieties."

Mr. Riddle hummed in satisfaction,

"I hope what you say is true, Bella."

After that they went back to eating and discussing business and then he heard the scrapping of the chair legs against the marble floor,

"Your slaves await, Sire. They are all very eager to be chosen by you. I believe they would kill for a chance to service you."

Mr. Riddle chuckled as he spoke,

"Do not attempt to distract me, Bella. Tell me who prepared dinner tonight? I wish to kiss the hands of the lady."

Bella was silent for a while and then spoke,

"Amelia, Sire…As usual…"

Mr. Riddle hmphed before speaking,

"I can sense that you are lying to me, Bella."

Harry sensed the slight bit of anger in his voice as he spoke again,

"Very well… If you do not wish to tell me then I shall find out on my own…But later. For now, I wish to relax."

Bella murmured softly as she whispered,

"Yes, Sire… Right this way."

Harry heard the main entrance of Bella's chambers open as she no doubt led Mr. Riddle out of the chambers.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Analupipotter, Raalina, ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry found himself unable to sleep all night, but he had to pretend to be disgruntled and afraid when Bellatrix awoke him in the morning. Sitting up straight, he finally asked Bella the question that was eating him from the inside,

"How did last night go, Mistress?"

Bella tensed slightly before smiling sweetly,

"It went excellent. The meal was truly unforgettable, Sugar."

Harry nodded distractedly as he wondered if Mr. Riddle really had investigated who had prepared dinner. He got out of bed and spoke,

"You should rest now, Ma'am"

Bella nodded as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Concern was written all over her face and Harry couldn't help but wonder but was bothering her,

"What is it, Mistress?"

She cupped his cheek gently and held his gaze,

"You must teach Amelia to cook what you cooked yesterday."

Harry stared at her in confusion and she smiled gently,

"Our guest wished to meet the maker of last night's meal and obviously I could not allow him to meet you. So, I informed him that Amelia had prepared it. He wishes to watch her prepare the meal tonight."

Harry frowned at her and then voiced the question,

"Why couldn't you allow him to meet me?"

Bella's eyes conveyed her fear perfectly even though she was working hard to school her face expressions,

"Sometimes, it is best to stay in the shadows… You may not understand that at the moment but in time you will."

Bella patted him on the cheek gently and pressed a kiss to his forehead,

"Protecting you is my responsibility and I shall fulfil it to the best of my abilities."

She pulled away from him and turned around to leave the room. Harry finally asked,

"May I have my list of chores for the day?"

Bella turned back around to face him and spoke,

"Teach Amelia to cook. That should take all day."

Harry nodded and watched as Bella walked away. He bathed quickly and changed into fresh clothes before heading down to the kitchens where Amelia was waiting for him. She pushed the tray of breakfast towards him distastefully and spoke,

"Eat your breakfast first."

Harry settled down on the wooden stool silently and made quick work of eating his breakfast before speaking,

"Shall we get started then?"

Amelia huffed angrily,

"What is the world coming to? Now I will have to learn cooking from a lowly street rat."

Harry had learned long ago not to take Amelia's words to heart so they no longer bothered him. He tied his hair at the nape with a piece of string and then got to work. He told Amelia about the ingredients they would be using and then told her about the method they would be following. He showed her how to make the recipes step after step in great detail. But Amelia wasn't too eager to learn and at the end of the day when Harry asked her to make it, she was unable to repeat the steps.

He felt very afraid of how disappointed Bella was going to be in him. But more than that he was afraid of what would be Mr. Riddle's reaction would be when Amelia would be unable to cook. Bella's lie would be discovered.

He looked around the kitchen and was just thinking of a strategy when Bella walked into the kitchens. She had one of her best gowns on… A one shoulder gown made with purple silk and decorated with ruffled net lace and real opals that shone iridescently in the dim lighting of the kitchen,

"Sugar, what are you still doing here? The guest is about to arrive."

Harry was just thinking about how to explain the situation to Bella when Amelia glared at him and shoved a tray laden with his dinner in his hand,

"I'll handle it from here now, Harry. Go on."

Bella ushered him out of the kitchen and led him to his room. She only left when he was safely inside and the door was firmly shut.

Harry placed the tray on the night stand and began pacing the room tensely. Amelia hadn't learnt anything. What was she going to do in front of Mr. Riddle? He just couldn't sit here and wait for morning to find out what had taken place. He had to see what was going on right now.

He'd been immensely lucky that he hadn't been found out last night… He might not be as lucky tonight, but he had to know… He had to watch… He was also aware of the fact that more than half of his impatience was because he wanted to see Mr. Riddle. He hadn't been able to see his face last night. Harry imagined that he would probably be as handsome as he sounded.

It took him an hour to finalize his decision and then he carefully slipped out of the room and snuck his way to the kitchens. He was just standing outside when he heard Mr. Riddle's familiar voice… He sounded enraged… There was a hint of threat in his voice as he spoke,

"This tastes nothing like the meal I was served last night, Bellatrix."

Harry felt his heart beating out of his chest as he heard the fear in Bella's voice as she spoke,

"My Lord, Amelia has been feeling under the weather since this morning…Perhaps…"

Bella stopped talking as Mr. Riddle spoke,

"Do not lie to me, Bellatrix! You are well aware of the fact that I despise liars."

There was silence for a moment before Mr. Riddle spoke,

"Miss Amelia would you care to tell me the truth? You shall be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams if you are honest with me."

Harry crossed his fingers and prayed silently that Amelia didn't give into the greed and stayed loyal to Bellatrix. The silence that followed was worse than any he'd ever endured. When it broke, it proved to be the silence before the storm,

"I didn't cook the meal last night, My Lord."

Mr. Riddle's voice was icy cold and filled with so much rage that Harry felt the hair on his body stand on edge,

"Who cooked the meal then?"

Amelia stammered,

"The…The boy…"

He knew he should be rushing back to his room, but he found himself completely paralyzed when Mr. Riddle spoke,

"Bring him to me."


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Analupipotter, Raalina, ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry wanted to move but despite his best efforts he couldn't…Bella's voice finally reached him,

"Let me get him, My Lord."

Mr. Riddle snapped,

"Enough, Bella… You have disappointed me enough already by lying to me…"

Harry finally managed to take a couple of steps back and took refuge in the shadows behind the crates and boxes that lined the walls. Amelia's heels clicked on the stone floor as she hurried out of the kitchens and towards his room. Harry crawled deeper into the shadows as the orange light from the kitchens flooded the corridor.

The hurried click of Amelia's heels after a couple of minutes informed him that she had returned. She sounded out of breath as she spoke,

"He's not in his room, My Lord."

Mr. Riddle's voice was filled with lethality as it rang out,

"What was his name, Bella?"

Bella was silent for a long moment before she replied fearfully,

"Harry Potter."

For a moment, there was pin drop silence and then Mr. Riddle roared loudly,

"LEAVE…BOTH OF YOU!"

He heard Bella and Amelia scurry out of the kitchens and then the air was rent with the ear deafening clamour of pots and pans being tossed to the floor.

Harry couldn't understand why Mr. Riddle was so mad. His leg was cramping up because of the awkward angle he was crouched at and as soon as he shifted his weight to find some relief, a crate crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

Adrenaline flooded his system… His heart pumped and beat like it was trying to escape. He thought it was going to explode. His eyes were wide with fear and his body wanted to either run fast for safety or to find something to defend himself, but instead he remained where he was.

What was worse was that he didn't understand why he was so afraid… What could Mr. Riddle possibly do to him? Would he hurt him?

His thoughts came to a halt when he felt someone grab him by the back of his shirt and he was dragged out of his hiding place, rather roughly. He squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the orange light of the kitchen strike his face and ducked his head as he knelt on the cold stone floor.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence… He knew Mr. Riddle had caught him and he could feel him standing inches away from him. The silence was broken when he heard him move… Harry wondered if he was leaving but that wasn't the case. Mr. Riddle circled him, and Harry folded his hands in his lap tight as he waited for him to speak.

He felt Mr. Riddle touch his cheek and inhaled sharply at the sensation. The touch vanished and Mr. Riddle finally spoke,

"Open your eyes… You need not fear me."

Harry wasn't too convinced, so he kept his eyes firmly shut but something inside him was nagging him to open his eyes and see what Mr. Riddle looked like but he fought that temptation with everything he had in him…

Once again, he asked himself why he was resisting it? Wouldn't it be easier if he simply gave in?

He felt Mr. Riddle's hands rest on his shoulders and pull him up to his feet gently before leading him to one of the wooden stools and then sitting him down,

"I will not hurt you."

The sincerity in Mr. Riddle's voice forced him to open his eyes and his gaze immediately landed on Mr Riddle's face that was level with his as he crouched in front of him. He had soft brown eyes that were deeper than any he'd ever seen. He had a face that looked like it had been chiselled out of fine marble by a proficient craftsman. His sharp cheekbones, aquiline nose and chiselled jaw gave him the impression of a Greek God. His dark hair was tied at his nape in a neat pony tail. Harry wondered what they would look like when they were open. Mr. Riddle was too handsome to be human.

Mr. Riddle smiled softly, and Harry was awestruck by how bright his face glowed with the intensity and warmth of it,

"May I know your name?"

Harry wet his dry lips and gulped before speaking,

"Harry… Harry Potter…"

Mr. Riddle's smile widened,

"That's a wonderful name… Where are you from, Harry?"

Harry finally looked away from Mr. Riddle's eyes as he stared down at the gray stone floor and tried to remember where he was from. The invisible wall inside his head stopped him from procuring that information and no matter how hard he pushed against it…It wouldn't budge… His head ached and he squeezed his eyes shut as all his efforts to answer that question failed.

What would Mr. Riddle be thinking of him? He would probably consider him a dunce…

Why was he so concerned about Mr. Riddle's opinion about him? He didn't even know the man… Why did his opinion matter to him?

His head throbbed painfully, and his hands went up to clutch his hair as a strangled cry escaped his lips.

He felt Mr. Riddle cup his face and heard him inquire concernedly,

"Harry… What's wrong?"

He forced himself to stop thinking and choked out through the pain,

"I'm… I'm fine, Sir."

He heard as Mr. Riddle called out for Bella loudly. It took a couple of minutes and then she was there… Kneeling in front of him and holding a cup of water to his lips… He drank it down in one and then felt Bella withdraw the cup,

"Harry… Take a deep breath… Relax… It's alright…"

Harry couldn't help but wrap his arms around her. He felt her fingers card through his hair and heard her whispering comforts in his ear.

It worked… The pain began to recede, and he steadily felt more stable. She continued to soothe him until he felt completely alright and then Mr. Riddle's voice rang through the kitchens,

"You owe me an explanation, Bellatrix."


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Penelope Blossom, COn3Dune,** **Ladiee101, nini3773, Analupipotter, Raalina, ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry was seated on the stool with his hands folded in his lap as Bella spoke,

"He doesn't remember his past."

Harry felt his cheek redden up with humiliation. It was embarrassing that he couldn't remember a single thing about his past. Mr. Riddle leaned back against the counter and spoke,

"How long has he been here?"

Bellatrix pursed her lips before speaking,

"A month."

He tensed up involuntarily as he felt Mr. Riddle step closer to him,

"How did you get here?"

He chewed on his lower lip…Not knowing what to say or how to say it. Mr. Riddle reached forward and freed his lip from his teeth,

"Why are you afraid of me? I have told you that I will not hurt you."

Harry hesitantly looked up and met Mr. Riddle's gaze again. His bottomless brown eyes were brimming with concern and care and coaxed him into speaking,

"Sirius brought me here."

Mr. Riddle frowned,

"And who is he?"

Harry looked away from him again and Bella came to his rescue,

"Sirius is my cousin. He found him in the streets."

Bella came to stand behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders. He felt himself relaxing as soon as he felt her touch.

Mr. Riddle crossed his arms over his chest and spoke,

"What were you doing on the streets, Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes as he ducked his head. He didn't know whether he should tell Mr. Riddle about the asylum or not. He didn't know what to feel towards Mr. Riddle at the moment… He wasn't sure whether he could trust him or not…

But there was something about Mr. Riddle that pulled at him. Something about him that attracted him…Like a moth to the flame… He felt drawn to him.

Bella squeezed his shoulders gently and spoke softly,

"Harry, there is no need to be nervous…"

Harry cleared his throat before murmuring,

"I escaped from the asylum…"

Mr. Riddle was instantly crouching in front of him again and he held both his hands in his,

"Dumbledore's Asylum?"

Harry nodded silently as he refused to make eye contact with Mr. Riddle… He knew that Mr. Riddle was probably thinking that he was insane... That's why people were put away into asylums, right?

Mr. Riddle squeezed his hands gently and spoke,

"It must have been hard for you…"

For a moment, he simply held onto them and then he snapped,

"Wait outside the door, Bellatrix."

He felt cold as Bellatrix's touch vanished from his shoulders and he heard her leave the kitchens. When she was gone, Mr. Riddle tipped his face up, forcing him to meet his gaze,

"Look into my eyes, Harry. I want you to answer the next question very honestly."

Harry stared into his eyes uncertainly and struggled to determine what the emotion was that was burning in Mr. Riddle's brown eyes at the moment. It wasn't anger because he would be able to recognize that instantly. He had never seen anything quite like it before and he was tempted to ask but that would make him seem even more insane, so he bit his tongue and simply nodded his head,

"Has Bellatrix been forcing you to sleep with people?"

He stared at Mr. Riddle in surprise for a moment and then shook his head violently,

"No…Not at all, Sir."

Mr. Riddle's grip tightened on his hands and he leaned closer to him,

"There is no need for you to fear her. Just be honest with me."

Harry held Mr. Riddle's gaze and spoke,

"No… She has not forced me to do anything. In fact, she has been nothing but kind to me."

Mr. Riddle frowned for a minute and then spoke,

"Have you slept with anyone?"

He couldn't understand why Mr. Riddle was asking him that. Mr. Riddle stroked the back of his hands with his thumbs gently and Harry felt oddly distracted by the move. He forgot the discomfort the question had caused him and replied,

"No."

The corner of Mr. Riddle's eyes crinkled as his face lit up with that warm, bright smile again and he spoke,

"Very good, Harry."

He released his hands finally and Harry stared down at them. How had Mr. Riddle done that? He was just busy pondering that when Mr. Riddle called out to Bellatrix again and waited for her to walk back in the room. He watched as she came to stand in front of Mr. Riddle and Mr. Riddle spoke,

"Harry shall be leaving with me."

Harry didn't know when he rose to his feet in surprise. Bellatrix bowed her head and spoke respectfully,

"That cannot…"

Mr. Riddle raised his hand,

"Refusal is not an option, Bellatrix… Remember that you are dispensable. It shall not take me a lot of effort to find another Governess for this brothel and throw you out on the streets."

Bellatrix looked at him and Harry stared right back at her in confusion. He had really thought that Mr. Riddle was a good guy and now he was forced to think otherwise. Harry saw the tears shining in her eyes as she spoke,

"You can throw me out, Sir. I am yours to do as you see fit. But Harry cannot leave with you… He is my responsibility."

It broke his heart to hear that Bellatrix was willing to such great heights to protect him. But he couldn't let her… She'd already done so much for him. He stepped in between her and Mr. Riddle and spoke,

"I will go with you, Sir. But I have a condition."

Mr. Riddle smiled radiantly and spoke,

"I am willing to accept all your conditions."

Harry shook his head,

"Not all… Just one… I want you to transfer ownership of this place to Bellatrix. If that is acceptable to you then I will gladly go anywhere with you."

Mr. Riddle titled his head and Harry saw the way his eyes lit with a mixture of amusement, amazement and admiration,

"Consider it done, Harry."

Mr. Riddle walked out of kitchens, no doubt to take care of the legal matters. Harry felt Bellatrix grip his shoulder and heard her whisper,

"Don't do this, Harry."

Harry covered her hand with his and smiled as confidently as he could,

"This doesn't even come close to what I owe you, Mistress."

Harry heard Bella sob and held her hand tight before turning around to face her. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead,

"You don't owe me anything, Harry. You don't have to do this."

Harry shook his head as he wiped away Bella's tears,

"I do… Your future is going to be secure now."

Bella cupped his face,

"But… I don't want it at the stake of yours."

Harry reassured her,

"It's going to be alright."


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to Penelope Blossom, COn3Dune,** **Ladiee101, nini3773, Analupipotter, Raalina, ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

He didn't have anything that truly belonged to him so there was nothing to pack. Mr. Riddle had transferred the legal ownership of the brothel to Bella and everything was in order. He had one last look around the room that had become his solace and the exited it before making his way to the entrance hall where Bellatrix stood, teary eyed and red nosed along with Mr. Riddle, who looked beyond himself with joy. His smile widened at the sight of him and he spoke,

"Are you ready to go, Harry?"

Harry nodded as he stepped closer to Mr. Riddle. Bellatrix burst into fresh tears and Harry couldn't help but embrace her,

"It's alright, Madame. I shall be fine."

Mr. Riddle huffed in annoyance and spoke,

"Come now, Bella… There is no need for these theatrics. Harry will be cherished and well taken care of…And he shall be allowed to visit you if he wishes it."

Harry felt something inside himself relax at that, but Bella still looked tense and Harry couldn't understand why she was so anxious for him. She kissed him goodbye on the cheek and then Harry felt Mr. Riddle's fingers close around his wrist and usher him out.

A black carriage stood waiting by the main entrance and for a moment, Harry was awestruck by how luxurious it looked. The gold inlays gleamed wickedly in the light from the street lamps. The black horses pulling the carriage were preened to perfection and looked as regal as the carriage itself. A man dressed in a black jacket and black cap hurried towards them and opened the door to the carriage.

Mr. Riddle spoke softly in his ear,

"Get in, Harry."

Harry stared apprehensively at the open door for a moment before getting in. The interior of the carriage was far more lavish then he'd imagined. The seats were lined with soft red velvet, the walls were cushioned with black silk and the floor of the carriage was carpeted. Harry felt Mr. Riddle settle next to him and the terror began to sink in.

He had no idea what was going to happen to him. Mr. Riddle had assured him that he wasn't going to hurt him but there had to be a reason why he'd gone to such extreme lengths to acquire him. Had Mr. Riddle acquired him to satiate his sexual needs?

The thoughts forced his heart to stutter. How would he cope with that? Mr. Riddle touched his cheek softly,

"I am well aware that you are afraid, Harry… It is natural to fear the unknown but trust me when I say that you will be treated like a prince…my prince… No harm shall befall you and you shall live far more comfortably than you have ever imagined."

There was something about Mr. Riddle's touch that rendered him speechless… He had a difficult time getting his thoughts back in order…or as much order as he could bring them to,

"I am not worthy of that, Sir… I am just a lowly…"

Mr. Riddle clamped his hand over his mouth as he growled,

"There is nothing lowly about you…You are worthy of everything that I will provide you with and so much more…"

Harry gulped at the possessive rage in Mr. Riddle's voice as he averted his gaze and stared down at his lap. Mr. Riddle pulled his hand away from his mouth and began tracing his lips with his finger. Harry nearly lost all his senses then as he focused wholly on the sensation of Mr. Riddle's soft finger against his lips.

There was something electrifying about it and in that moment…He forgot that he was supposed to scared, nervous, anxious…He forgot everything and simply focused on the rythematic movement. His breathing slowed down… his heart was barely beating… his head felt foggy and oh so heavy as he felt himself sinking back into the soft velvet seat.

His eyes fluttered shut and the darkness enveloped him readily as he felt warmth all around him and then Mr. Riddle's low voice filled his ears,

"Very good, Harry… Relax… Just relax…"

He struggled to open his eyes so that he could look at Mr. Riddle, but his eyelids felt like they were made of lead,

"Keep them closed, Harry… Just rest."

Harry wanted to speak but every time he tried, he couldn't make a sound. It felt as if he wasn't in control of his own mouth. That made him panic…shattering the warmth and the peace that surrounded him as he fought to open his eyes and cry out for help…

He felt Mr. Riddle grab his wrists and heard him speak,

"Calm down, Harry…"

Harry wanted to move…He needed to move…He didn't want this…

And suddenly it felt like whatever trance he'd been under lifted and he opened his eyes and stared at Mr. Riddle who was sitting inches away from him. He was leaning back in the seat…almost lying down in it… The carriage was still moving. Harry stared down at his wrists and realized that they were free,

"What…What was that?"

Mr. Riddle raised an eyebrow and inquired softly,

"Are you alright, Harry?"

Harry sat up straighter and couldn't stop himself from trembling as he spoke again,

"Y…Yes…I'm fine, Sir."

He wrapped his arms around himself as he fought to regain some semblance of calm, but it was impossible. He just couldn't stop trembling and shaking like a leaf. His head was throbbing with pain and his heart was threatening to escape out of his chest.

Suddenly, Mr. Riddle was holding him and that only served his headache to spike through the roof, his head threatening to explode with the intensity of it.

He screamed in agony

And then everything started to dissolve into darkness until it was all he knew.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks a lot to everyone that is following this fanfic and favourited it. My gratitude to** **Big Bad Wolf Is Here, llLittle Sll, Penelope Blossom, COn3Dune,** **Ladiee101, nini3773, Analupipotter, Raalina, ElliebethM , ishaalimtiaz17, erikablair, Krix27, AliVader24, JaiJayce, StargladesTime, reader, Teddy H2o ,** **Shadowstrider14, Gurgaraneth and the guests for reviewing it. Your opinion matters a looooooooooooot to me.**

Harry was walking through the forest again… The same forest that always occupied his dreams… The same forest that turned into his worst nightmares every time… But usually it took a couple of minutes till that happened…This time the forest was already turning into a wasteland. The tress began to wither and die…The river turned to blood… The forest floor beneath his bare feet, turned into warm, slippery, bloody flesh… The air around him grew thick with the smell of decay… Everything was dying or dead… There was no life anywhere around him…

He found himself running…slipping over the blood slick ground and falling yet getting up every time… He was steadily suffocating by the stench of blood and rotting meat. It was too much. It was just too much.

Voices… He heard voices in the distance and he ran over to them only to find that a man…no…not a man… He was made of pure darkness. His form was as black as the night. He stood in a clearing facing another man… He had pale white skin, a skeletally thin body, and dark scarlet eyes with cat-like slits for pupils. He had a chalk-white face that resembled a skull, snake-like slits for nostrils, and large hands with unnaturally long fingers like spider's legs. He had no hair or lips. He had long, sharp, pale blue fingernails and was dressed in a black hooded cloak.

They were talking…arguing…

And the more Harry tried to make out their words…the more meaningless they sounded... He stepped into the clearing and both men turned to look at him as they both went silent. Harry felt his head swimming as he felt nauseous and dizzy. Both men approached him at the same time and Harry felt his knees give out as thick suffocating darkness surrounded his body.

He woke up gasping and screaming. His body was twisted in the damp sheets as his clothes were soaked with sweat. He kicked his arms and legs as he struggled to get free,

"Ssshhh…Harry. Calm down."

Someone was disentangling him from the sheets. Someone was holding him tight. The warmth and the wonderful scent of cologne began to calm him, and his body loosened up. Fingers carded through his hair and then someone spoke in a low soothing voice,

"Its alright, Harry. You are safe. No one will hurt you."

Warm lips pressed against his temple and he melted into the arms enfolding him as he enjoyed the short-lived bliss. His breathing and pulse both returned to normal as his headache receded to a dull throb. Then, slowly, gradually everything began to come back to him. The asylum, Dumbledore, Sirius, Bella and then Mr. Riddle…

Mr. Riddle…

He pushed away from him instantly and backed away from him until his back hit the headboard. Mr. Riddle had removed his coat and had rolled up the sleeves of his black silk shirt. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, but a few stray strands had slipped out. His brown eyes were filled with sincerity and his handsome features were clouded with concern,

"Harry…It's okay. I shall not hurt you. How many times must I remind you of that?"

Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, making himself as small as he possibly could before burying his face in his knees. He didn't know what was expected of him. He didn't know why Mr. Riddle had brought him here. He didn't even know where he was.

He felt Mr. Riddle draw closer to him and heard him speak,

"Why do you think I brought you here, Harry?"

Harry's voice quivered as he replied,

"To serve you."

Mr. Riddle made a thoughtful sound and then touched his head,

"I have not brought you here to serve you… You will not be a servant… You will be master of this Manor."

Harry finally pulled his head away from his knees and finally regarded Mr. Riddle,

"Why me? Why did you pick me, Sir? There is nothing special about me… I…I'm not even sane…"

Mr. Riddle tsked as he cupped his face,

"That is where you are so wrong, Harry. You are special… You are the only one worthy enough to be in this bed..."

Harry averted his gaze and looked around himself at the bed…the luxurious black silk sheets that looked incredibly expensive…The soft pillows that seemed like they'd been filled with goose feathers. The beautiful dark brocade drapes that hung over the four posters…

"Is this your bed, Sir?"

Mr. Riddle smiled softly before nodding,

"Yes, it is."

Harry unwrapped his arms from his knees and ran his fingers over the silky soft sheets,

"Will I be sleeping in it every night?"

Mr. Riddle shook his head,

"You shall have your own room, but I would prefer your presence here."

Harry couldn't help but frown as he spoke,

"What else would you prefer, Sir?"

Mr. Riddle laughed softly, and the sound was like chimes in the wind,

"I would prefer it if you trust me with your mind, body, heart and soul."

Harry's breath hitched in his throat,

"What if I can't do that, Sir?"

Mr. Riddle reached forward and took his hand in his,

"I shall give you time and I shall give you reasons…In the end, you will trust me… It is inevitable."

Harry felt the warmth of Mr. Riddle's skin soak into his and he couldn't help but believe that Mr. Riddle might be right. Suddenly, he felt Mr. Riddle lower his head over his and Harry squeezed his eyes shut before turning his head away. He could feel Mr. Riddle's warm breath tickle his cheek as he spoke,

"Take your time, Harry."

And with that Mr. Riddle withdrew. Harry slowly opened his eyes and realized that he was gone. He slumped back against the headboard and pulled a pillow up before burying his face in it. What was he going to do here? What had fate planned for him?


End file.
